A group blog to promote discussion, debate and insight into the history, particularly religious, of America's founding. Any observations, questions, or comments relating to the blog's theme are welcomed.

Pages

Friday, October 16, 2009

I'm Seeing Kansas

Tomorrow at the Patriots Theater in Trenton, with the Trenton Symphonic Orchestra.

I doubt they'll play the following song "Distant Vision," from their 2000 album Somewhere to Elsewhere. It's about Christopher Columbus and was penned by Kerry Livgren. Livgren, their chief writer during their heyday, became a born again Christian and stopped touring with Kansas but still writes, plays and associates with them from time to time. Livgren recently suffered a massive stroke (ironic in that becoming an evangelical Christian helped him to clean up his act long before the others). Livgren played on their DVD There's Know Place Like Home, (which JUST came out on Oct 13). That may well be his last live performance given the severity of the stroke.

Here is the audio followed by the lyrics. I thought I'd post it to American Creation given the controversy over Christopher Columbus the past few days:

On a night as I lay sleeping, in a dream Isaw the shore of a distant land where/Promise lay in wait/ And I heard thesound of voices of a million hungrysouls/ Now it comes to me to lead them to the gate

But I am just a man, not worthy of thisplan / With a strength that's not my own,I must rise

And I...will bear the light, ( and thevision leads me onward) / Thatblind....men have their sight / I'd sail athousand seas to make it so

To the Kings I gave the mission, in thehope that they would share / In the joyof setting countless captives free / Butthe lust for Gold and power, is luring usaway / From a calling that began in purity

And I'm still just a man, not worthy ofthis plan / With a strength that's not myown, I must rise

Now a tempest rages in my heart, as thisfever furies on / Soon these islandspromise rest and hope, my answers waitbeyond their shore / Dream on...

Hungry eyes are standing on the sand,they beckon us to bring the tide /Sovereign hand must hold me now, I pleadwith you / Be my solace and my guide...bymy side

And I...will walk with you / On theshores of the land of promise / Thatblind...men see you too / I'd sail a thou-sand seas to make it so

3 comments:

Do you really think it's that big of a controversy, Jon? I've always thought of it as somewhat cut-and-dry. Columbus's discovery was a world-changing event. In addition, he was a violent man. I don't see any reason to dispute these facts and frankly don't know why we are.